Electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay



Feb. 25, 1969 H. H. MUSVSBACH 3,430,165

ELECTROMAGNETIC CYLINDRICAL-MINIATURE RELAY Filed Sept. 6, 1966 Fig.2

United States Patent St 24,402 US. Cl. 335-131 Int. Cl. H01h 67/02 7Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A miniature cylindrical sealed relayis provided. The relay employs a pot-shaped armature which responds tochanges in electromagnetic fields to open and close a number ofcontacts.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relayin which the excitation coil is arranged in a yoke, formed as apot-shaped housing, with a concentric iron core.

The requirement prevailing in electro-mechanical engineering toconstruct multi-pole relays, i.e. relays with a plurality of contacts,in a most compact form, is met by known cylindrical relays. In theseprior art relays the diameter of each relay is determined by thediameter of the coil and the contact spring set is arranged on the frontside of the excitation coil.

The German patent specification 1,103,466 describes a pot-shapedminiature relay in which the relay armature actuates the contactsthrough a pin of non-magnetic material inserted in it and borneshiftable in the axial hole of the core. The contacts are arranged onthe front side of the coil opposing the side of the armature. This relayhas the disadvantage that only the electro-magnetic part is constructedcompactly and the contact spring set is located outside the cylindricalcoil housing and is unprotected.

By the German printed application 1,071,837, a relay became known inwhich a number of contact springs is arranged on one front side of theexcitation coil reshaped, beingactuated via a pin, connected with theimmersing armature, the said pin passing axially through the core. Thisrelay, however, is extremely complicated and expensive with regard toproduction, so it is used only for special tasks in missiles andaircraft. This relay is unsuitable as a simple and cheap element.

It is a primary object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages ofthe arrangements known and to provide a cylindrical miniature relaywhich is completely enclosed, and has all its movable parts locatedinside a cylinder against the ingress of dust. It is a further object toprovide a relay which can be manufactured simply and cheaply. These andother objects are achi ved, according to the invention, by providing acore with a cone-shaped hole provided to co-operate with a troughshapedarmature. The armature, in turn, actuates a plural ity of contactsprings through loose actuating pins of insulating material. Thearmature and contact spring set are arranged on one front side of theexcitation coil.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the trough-shaped armatureis kept, by a pressure spring, at the lifting distance, and the restingposition of the armature is established by touching a perforated disc ofinsulating material which serves to guide the actuating pins.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, as many as twelvechange-over contacts are arranged radially shaped on the circularcontact support, closing the relay. The contact springs are insertedinto slots of 3,430,165 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 the contact support andequipped with means which effect a firm engagement.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the cone-shaped poleis slotted down to the core and the coil wires are led through said slotor slots centrally to the contact support.

The relay can be packed air-tight most suitably with a compound masticor lacquer. The terminal side is con structed so that the relay can beplugged-in or solder din. To enable constant checking of the function ofthe tightly packed relay the contact support is preferably made of atransparent material.

An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay constructed according tothe invention has various advantages. For example, an all-enclosed,replaceable element requiring little space is obtained in which allmova'ble components are arranged inside a cylinder, properly protectedagainst the ingress of dust. Due to the particular construction of thecontact spring set the adjustment is eased, because only the operatingsprings must be adjusted. The cylindrical miniature relay shown as anembodiment of the invention requires only approximately 17 cm. space,despite the showing of twelve change-over contacts.

The invention is described with the aid of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a cylindrical miniature relay according tothe invention, seen from the side and partly in section,

FIG. 2 shows the relay according to FIG. 1, seen from the bottom.

The cylindrical housing 1, shown in FIG. 1, is made as a can andsimultaneously serves as a yoke. The contacts are supported in therecess 2 of the cylindrical housing 1. This recess 2 also determines thelifting height of the relay. The coil core 3 possesses a cone-shapedpole piece 4. The coil body 6 of the excitation coil 7 is placed to bearagainst the frustum 5. At least one slot 8 is milled into thecone-shaped pole piece 4 through which the coil wires 9 are ledcentrally to the contact'support 10. The armature 11 consists of acylindrical pot or can in the centre of which a hole is punched throughwhich the coil wires 9 are led. The; armature 11 is kept to a liftingdistance by a pressure spring 12. A tube 13 of insulating materialguides the pressure spring 12 in the chamber of the cylinder housing 1,extended by the recess 2, the contacts are accommodated. The circularconstruction permits twelve changer-over contacts at a maximum which areactuated by pins 14, made of insulating material. The contact support 10consists of spray plastics, accommodating the contact spring sets. Theindividual contact springs 15, 1-6, 17 are of the engaging type,supported towards sheared-off resilient flaps 18. Only the operatingsprings 17 have contacting rivets 19, while the other springs 15, 1-6have contacting surfaces of an arbitrary contacting material. Thecontact spring set can be tested and adjusted prior to assembling therelay. The perforated disc 20, serving to guide the actuating pins 14,is fixed in its position towards the contact support 10 by tenon 21, inorder to determine the direction of the actuating pins 14 after beadingthe top rim of the cylindrical housing 1 at the edge of the contactsupport 10 the relay is tightly closed. The side of the soldering lugsor the terminal side, respectively, can be closed completely air-tightwith lacquer. The contacts thereby remain completely free from dust. Therelay is fixed by means of a welded-on perforated rail or bar, a clampor a threaded ring.

FIG. 2 shows the ray-shaped arrangement of twelve change-over contactson the contact support 10 of the relays bottom side. Circles 22 indicatethe soldering lugs or plug pins, connected to the terminal wires of theexcitation part.

While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with specific apparatus and applications, it is to beunderstood that this description is made only by way of example and notas a limitation on the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay comprising anexcitation coil, an iron core aligned concentrically within saidexcitation coil, said iron core terminating in a cone-shaped poleextended outside the excitation coil, a pot-shaped armature having anopen side, means retaining said pot-shaped armature in a positionenabling it to partially surround the cone-shaped pole, said meanskeeping said pot-shaped armature in contact with a plurality of contactsprings through actuating pins, and said means permitting saidpot-shaped armature to move responsive to a change in a magnetic fieldinduced in said excitation coil, whereby the actuating pins are causedto change position relative to said contact springs and to alter thepositions of the contact springs and provide switching functions.

2. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay substantiallyaccording to claim 1, in which the pot-shaped armature is kept at alifting distance by a pressure spring and the resting position of thearmature is determined by touching a perforated disc made of insulatingmaterial, said perforated disc including means for guiding the actuatingpins.

3. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay according to claim 1in which twelve change-over contacts are arranged in a radial formationon the circular contact support closing the relay at one end.

4. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay according to claim 1in which the contact springs are inserted into slots of a contactsupport and provided with means for causing a firm engagement.

5. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay according to claim 4in which the cone-shaped pole is slotted down to the core and coil wiresare led through said slots to the contact support.

6. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay according to claim 1including an air-tight packing of compound mastic encapsulating thewhole.

7. An electromagnetic cylindrical miniature relay according to claim 3,in which the contact support consists of transparent material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,333,542 3/1920 Geissinger335279 2,444,198 6/ 1948 Hasselhorn 335-127 2,743,331 4/ 1956 Lauder200l72 2,790,876 4/1957 Wagner 335-131 2,891,199 6/1959 Ugon -3352792,905,788 9/1959 Harrison '33513l 3,248,508 4/1966 Pastorel 200l72BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD BROOME, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 33S-279

